Beer: Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by dismal:

4.03/5 rDev +1%look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber into a pint glass. Pours a completely clear golden/darker oragne with nice fluffy white head. The head has nice retention and leaves some pretty good lacing down the glass. The aroma right away reminds me of a nice Belgian style beer. Spicy, fruity, lots of yeast aroma. And of course their are hops there as well. Mainly citrus hops. The taste like the smell reminds me of a Belgian beer right away but unlike the smell the hops stand out more in the taste. Citrus, spices, nice hop bite at the end. Pretty balanced not over hopped but enough to give it a nice bitterness. The aftertaste leaves a nice spicy and yeasty taste in the mouth with a hint of hops. The mouthfeel is good pretty medium bodied. Overall this is good. Not a high ABV so finishing the bomber isn't a problem. I'll probably pick this one up again in the future.

More User Reviews:

Stone brew new to Alberta number two, bomber poured into a tulip. Nice looking brew, light bronze amber with a fluffy, resilient off-white head rather like meringue. Leaves nice concentric rings of lace around the glass. Aroma of fresh grapefruit, burlap sack, cloves, a little orange as well, light caramel. Ample rustic Belgian yeast and sturdy citrus and pepper hops. Palate is quite wonderful, one of the better compromises between yeast and hops I've observed in this rather murkily defined style. Impressive resinous green bitterness coupled with grapefruit, lower key orange and pineapple, green banana, medicinal phenols to a surprising degree. Moderate body with some heft and similarly robust carbonation. Finishes intensely bitter and dry, decent pucker power that recalls more citrus rind (lemon with no juice to sweeten things), floral tobacco, herbal tincture and flinty minerals. I am enjoying this brew's bucolic intensity and unapologetic spicy edge. Smooth mouth feel despite these traits. Stone may be old news down south but this ought to make waves up here.

On tap at the Mellow here in Greensboro.Poured into a standard pint glass a peach infused medium golden with a thinner white head atop,medicinal and citric aromas mainly.Flavors have a slight medicinal quality and deep fruity esters,a citric pine hop component comes into a lingering finish.Not a bad beer but Iam not a fan of the medicinal yeasty quality it has to it.

Appearance - This is an amazingly brilliant orange in color with a modest white head that nonetheless left some good lacing.

Smell - The aroma here is modest even as the ale warms but I got some soft citrus hops that mixed well with a rich malt base. There's a nice sense of Belgian yeast to this nose as well delivering on the promised American/Belgian marriage.

Taste - This is much lighter in flavor than I expected. It is a very delicate ale. The hops show a particularly deft touch when considering past Stoner ales. The citrus from the nose I thought announced a heavy hop hand here but I was mistaken, and the obnoxious malt base that I anticipated was absent as well. This is a very balanced beer really with crisp but not overpowering orange-flavored hopping, little malt, and a clean, sophisticated yeast.

Mouthfeel - This is nowhere near as big as I thought it would be. I wouldn't even consider this medium-bodied, and the bitter feel is throughout the drink but again very reserved.

Drinkability - This is a very quaffable Cali/Belgian ale and proof that Stone can offer subtle quality when needed. This one grew on me as I went.

I purchased this bottle skeptical about how well Cali would meld with Belgique, but with a deeply-rooted trust in Stone. The best Belgian ales are powerful and complex yet delicate, a quality American brewers often disregard. Stone, however, can seemingly do it all.

A smell unlike anything I've ever encountered, save a greenhouse, greets me kindheartedly, as if presenting me with a wreath of flowers for my triumph in bringing it home to be released to my senses. It's massively floral, hops blending perfectly with the earthy, fruity, and bubble gum/lemon pound cake sweet yeast aroma. Very suitable for the seasonal warmth and dampness.

The head is modest at first, a finger's worth in a fairly wide snifter. It settles thin and wispy but forms a very fine patch of lacing on the glass. The second (more vigorous) pour produces two fingers, The body is a crystal clear, brilliant golden poppy color, and I was surprised to see it was a filtered beer.

The beer is wet on the palate like morning dew. Earthy, fresh, berry fruit with a touch of lime (think mojitos), blending so well with gentle malt sweetness and again some bubble gum, that it seems the ingredients have aged together for centuries. Alas, being filtered I'm not sure how long you could age it. This is unfortunate as my only real gripe with the flavor is that it's maybe a bit too bitter for that Belgian yeast delicacy. It grows on you though.

Hops and spice coat my mouth, pleasant for me but not for all. Definitely an IPA sharpness to it. Trademark Stone.

Not really a session ale, but not supposed to be. I could see drinking a couple because it's so good, but for most, one will satisfy, if not sit heavy.

More of a Belgian Ale in appearance, light in color with a white head which sticks around for a while. The ABV and hops are more consistent with a toned down American Pale Ale than a revved up British version. Stone, as per usual, puts forward a refreshing brew that is very drinkable. Though expected hints of fruit in this IPA aren't all that present, the sweetness of a Belgian Ale is there. This is a good combination ale but I do prefer Stone's individual efforts in regard to these two styles individually.

T - Hops take the front seat, although not overpowering the malt just provides a nice backdrop for them to shine. The hops are a nice balance of citrus and floral, which gives it an almost succulent fruit like flavor...like lychee. Sweet malt in the back to balance it all out.

M - Fermented dry, could use a bit more carbonation, but I am certain this is because of my growler distributor and not Stone.

O - This is an interesting and very solid beer. If you like IPAs and you like Belgian beers like I do, it is a no brainer.

A- The beer pours a bit crisper than the standard STONE IPA, the smallest hint more clear and lighter. Mott's AJ color almost to the TS- The Columbus/Chinook/Centennial are having a slap fight with the proprietary Belgian yeast. With hops coming out victoriousT- So very similar to the STONE IPA, but with an unmistakable/very confrontational (in a good way) Belgian yeast forward. Definite hop smack thoughM- Very Belgian feeling en la boca. But quick hop bitter/floral palate punch When you sip its a 'Tripel' and when it sits your mouth it's an IPA-This is a good beer. A very easy to drink good beer, that happens to pair nicely with almost anything else you can put in your mouth.

Pours a slightly hazy orange yellow color with a half inch of creamy off white head on top. Aromas hit first thing with citric hops that begin to conjoin with spicy, fruity, slightly funky Belgian yeast tones. Hints of caramel malt in the background along with herbal, resinous accents. Earthy.

First sip brings some slightly sweet caramel malts upfront that quickly move into a collusion of citric, resinous hops and earthy Belgian yeast flavors. Fruity, spicy and funky flavors all play a part as the beer flows down with a bit of a dryness. Bitterness from the hops kicks in full well on the back end also. Finishes with a lingering spicy, estery bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and a little more carbonated than the standard Stone IPA. Overall it goes down smooth and easily. I'm still not sold on the Belgian IPA myself and it seems to clash a bit to my taste buds. This was nice but I'd rather have the regular IPA or Ruination.

I really enjoyed this beer, thought that the West Coast and Europe went very well together.A 22oz bottle poured into a tulip. Slightly hazy gold color, medium white head, a little clumpy, nice lacing.Pretty much equal amounts earthy/yeast and floral/citrus in the aroma. They went well together.The taste mimicked the aroma: funky/earthy with grapefruit and pine. I thought the grapefruit was the more predominant taste.A well-constructed beer, and a pleasure to drink.

Very light, frothy mouthfeel is misleading to the flavor of this beer. Definitely torn between the Belgian styling (whatever that means) and the hoppiness that I bought this beer for. I'm a fan of the Stone IPA, no doubt which is what led me to a bottle of this. From what I understand, that is what provides the malt for the Cali-Belg. No doubt it was enjoyable, very drinkable.

On the light side for an IPA--perhaps that involves the Belgian yeast? The head is thin but solid, and the retention is excellent.

I'm ordinarily a big fan of belgian aromas, and this one smells much more like an IPA. Without detecting what's usually a distinct Belgian smell, it offers more of a citrusy effect. Nothing extraordinary, but certainly pleasant.

Ooooh--I can taste the Belgian aspect. Having already disclosed I'm more of an IPA guy, I'm a little let down after my wafting. Where the smell is only subtlely Belgian, the taste is only subtlely IPA. Since "Belgian" is only an adjective describing the main "IPA" noun, I've got to judge this here beer relative to IPAs.

Belgian yeasts and quality carbonation combine for a good mouthfeel. It's almost like an alka-seltzer the way it fizzes and cleanses the palate. This effect would make the Cali-Belgique an effective transition beer among different foods and drinks.

The beer is easy to drink, and it's appropriate for just about any occasion. Thing is, it'd have to taste better to go to it more consistently.